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Successful HR Simple advice for your customers: Identify your needs, hire accordingly, give appropriate feedback. For Dental Sales Professionals May 2016 A partnered publication with Dental Sales Pro • www.dentalsalespro.com

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Page 1: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

Successful HR Simple advice for your customers: Identify your needs, hire accordingly, give appropriate feedback.

For Dental Sales Professionals May 2016

A partnered publication with Dental Sales Pro • www.dentalsalespro.com

Page 2: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

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Page 3: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

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Page 4: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

4 : May 2016 : First Impressions : www.firstimpressionsmag.com

May:16For Dental Sales Professionals

Designed for Easy Placement

Once the coated granules of GUIDOR® easy-graft® are syringed into the bone defect and come in contact with blood, they change in approximately one minute from a moldable material to a rigid, porous scaffold.

• 100% synthetic and fully resorbable

• Available in three sizes - large, medium and small

• Ideal for ridge preservation and other bone grafting procedures

This product should not be used in pregnant or nursing women.

easy-graft® CLASSICalloplastic bone grafting system

To learn more, visit http://us.GUIDOR.com/easy-graft/ or call 1-877-484-3671. Instructions for Use (IFU), including indications, contraindications, precautions and potential adverse effects, are available at http://us.GUIDOR.com/IFU/.© 2016 Sunstar Americas, Inc. All rights reserved. GDR16041 04222016v1The trademarks GUIDOR, easy-graft and BioLinker are owned by Sunstar Suisse, SA.

rated it excellent or good and worthy of trial by colleagues.* Full-report is available at http://us.guidor.com/cliniciansreport/

*Source: Gordon J. Christensen Clinicians Report®, September 2015. Published by CR Foundation, an independent, non-profit, dental education and product testing foundation.

91%

Product Size Item # Granule Size Content

Large C11-008 500-1000 µm 3 systems x 0.4 mL

Medium C11-078 500-1000 µm 3 systems x 0.25 mL

Small C11-018 500-630 µm 3 systems x 0.15 mL

1 system = 1 syringe of GUIDOR easy-graft granules and 1 ampule of BioLinker®

Availableto Sell

May 2016!

Dentists can TRY & BUY!May 1 - July 31, 2016 Promotion:

Contact your Sunstar representative for more information or visit http://us.guidor.com/dealer

Buy 1 Large Unit of GUIDOR easy-graft, Get 1 Trial Pack at no charge!

Hiring new staff should be regarded as an opportunity to bring new skills to the practice, Edwards says, and doing so could be a “game changer.”

8Manager or Leader? .......................p.6

Successful HRSimple advice for your customers: Identify your needs, hire accordingly, give appropriate feedback. ..................................p.8

QuickBytes ................................................p.12

WindshieldTime ................................p.14

News ..................................................................p.16

EditorMark Thill

[email protected]

Senior EditorLaura Thill

[email protected]

Managing EditorGraham [email protected]

Chairman and FounderBrian Taylor

[email protected]

PublisherBill Neumann

[email protected]

SalesDiana Craig

[email protected]

Art DirectorBrent Cashman

[email protected]

CirculationWai Bun [email protected]

First Impressions (ISSN 1548-4165) is published bi-monthly by Medical Distribution Solutions Inc., 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140, Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153. Copyright 2016 by Medical Distribution Solutions Inc. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: $48 per year. If you would like to subscribe or notify us of address changes, please contact us at the above numbers or address.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Medical Distribution Solutions Inc., 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140, Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153. Please note: The acceptance of advertising or products mentioned by contributing authors does not constitute endorsement by the publisher. Publisher cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of an opinion expressed by contributing authors.

First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153

Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: 770/236-8023www.firstimpressionsmag.com

Editorial Staff

Page 5: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

Designed for Easy Placement

Once the coated granules of GUIDOR® easy-graft® are syringed into the bone defect and come in contact with blood, they change in approximately one minute from a moldable material to a rigid, porous scaffold.

• 100% synthetic and fully resorbable

• Available in three sizes - large, medium and small

• Ideal for ridge preservation and other bone grafting procedures

This product should not be used in pregnant or nursing women.

easy-graft® CLASSICalloplastic bone grafting system

To learn more, visit http://us.GUIDOR.com/easy-graft/ or call 1-877-484-3671. Instructions for Use (IFU), including indications, contraindications, precautions and potential adverse effects, are available at http://us.GUIDOR.com/IFU/.© 2016 Sunstar Americas, Inc. All rights reserved. GDR16041 04222016v1The trademarks GUIDOR, easy-graft and BioLinker are owned by Sunstar Suisse, SA.

rated it excellent or good and worthy of trial by colleagues.* Full-report is available at http://us.guidor.com/cliniciansreport/

*Source: Gordon J. Christensen Clinicians Report®, September 2015. Published by CR Foundation, an independent, non-profit, dental education and product testing foundation.

91%

Product Size Item # Granule Size Content

Large C11-008 500-1000 µm 3 systems x 0.4 mL

Medium C11-078 500-1000 µm 3 systems x 0.25 mL

Small C11-018 500-630 µm 3 systems x 0.15 mL

1 system = 1 syringe of GUIDOR easy-graft granules and 1 ampule of BioLinker®

Availableto Sell

May 2016!

Dentists can TRY & BUY!May 1 - July 31, 2016 Promotion:

Contact your Sunstar representative for more information or visit http://us.guidor.com/dealer

Buy 1 Large Unit of GUIDOR easy-graft, Get 1 Trial Pack at no charge!

Page 6: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

6 : May 2016 : First Impressions : www.firstimpressionsmag.com

Leadership

Are you a manager or a leader? One way to quickly identify where someone sits on the manager-leader spectrum is to look at their language.

The language of a manager is task-oriented. It’s about what needs to be done today, and how to do it. A leader’s language is more purposeful. It’s about where you’re going in the future and why you need to get there.

Manager types can be successful in traditional command and control environments where assign-ing and measuring tasks is of high value. But these organizations rarely produce innovation, nor do they inspire emotional commitment from custom-ers and employees.

Said another way, managers can replicate the sta-tus quo. But if you want to create competitive differen-tiation and build a team that cares, you need leaders.

By Lisa Earle McLeod

Manager or Leader?

Page 7: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

www.firstimpressionsmag.com : First Impressions : May 2016 : 7

There are a few key ‘tells’ that reveal whether some-one leans toward manager or leader:

How they communicate resultsManagers tend to focus on lagging indicators like sales and productivity metrics. These backward-look-ing measures keep a manager’s team mired in the past, with little vision for the future. When managers say things like, “Quarterly sales are down, we need to close deals faster,” the fire drill begins. Leaders, on the other hand, look at leading indicators like customer impact. They analyze emerging trends. They say things like, “Our newest customers are buying for different reasons, let’s unpack this and figure out how to leverage it.” As Warren Bennis wrote in his classic 1989 book On Becoming a Leader, “The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon.”

How they assign workManagers assign tasks. Leaders com-municate desired results. A manager will tell an employee, “Get x and y done in exactly this manner by Friday at 10:30 a.m.” A leader is more likely to say, “Our client needs this, what’s the best way to accomplish it?” Managers focus on what to do and how to do it. Leaders explain the big picture; they tell people why things need to be accomplished and allow their team creativity about how to get there. Managers are maniacal about adherence process; leaders are relentless about achieving results.

What they rewardManagers reward obedience. Leaders reward innovation. Managers say things like, “Susan is

our best employee; her order entry is flawless.” A leader is more likely to say, “Bill is the bomb, he looked at our order entry and realized the screen prompts were taking up too much of our custom-ers’ time.” A manager rewards people for imple-menting decisions made from above. Leaders en-courage independent decision-making, knowing that some will fail.

Managers applaud compliance. Leaders inspire commitment.

Words matter. Inspiring words alone will not make a company great. Tasks must get done. But

it’s the words of the boss that tell the employees why the tasks matter. Language is how the boss lets people know what’s important and what’s not. The words of the boss are repeated across the team every single day, and those same words are shared around dinner tables at night.

You can be a manager or you can be a leader. It takes work to adjust your language. In case you’re wondering whether it’s worth the effort, look back at the above list and ask yourself, which person would you rather work for? FI

Lisa is a sales leadership consultant, and author of Selling with Noble Purpose. Companies like Apple, Kimberly-Clark and Pfier hire her to help them create passionate, purpose-driven sales forces. She has appeared on The Today Show, and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal. She provides executive coaching sessions, strategy workshops, and keynote speeches. Visit www.LisaEarleMcLeod.com

Managers focus on what to do and how to do it. Leaders explain the big picture; they tell people why things need to be accomplished and allow their team creativity about how to get there.

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8 : May 2016 : First Impressions : www.firstimpressionsmag.com

Successful HR Simple advice for your customers: Identify your needs, hire accordingly, give appropriate feedback.

Page 9: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

www.firstimpressionsmag.com : First Impressions : May 2016 : 9

Although common sense might seem to dictate that new practice owners should provide detailed contracts for new employees, that’s not always the case, notes Paul Edwards, CEO and co-founder of CEDR HR Solutions. “What most employers need is a well written policy manual, which states that no contract can be formed and that their mutual employment status is at will, he says. “It’s not that contracts don’t have their place. It’s that they often unintentionally remove an employer’s at will status.

“Another one of the biggest mis-takes dentists make is to arrange a working interview,” Edwards continues. “Sometimes employers will ask candi-dates to work for free, for a fixed amount of money, or for no pay at all in order to get to know one another.” Not only is this risky, it’s illegal, he says. “It violates wage and hour rules, as well as IRS rules,” he explains. “It also puts the dentist at risk: When there is no HIPAA training, back-ground check, license confirmation, criminal history or workman’s comp in-surance, anything and everything that goes wrong will end up costing the den-tist out of pocket.”

Hiring new staff should be regarded as an op-portunity to bring new skills to the practice, Edwards says, and doing so could be a “game changer.” Per-haps it comes down to hiring someone who is more experienced or simply better at handling certain tasks. “A game changer is often the individual who generates additional revenue,” he says. “So, no mat-ter who a dentist is hiring – a hygienist, someone in charge of billing, an office manager, front desk etc. – it’s important to identify what new skills the prac-tice needs and who can bring these skills to the prac-tice.” Everyone on the team plays an important role,

he adds, from the person who answers the phones to the hygienist assisting with procedures. “I would say that the front desk person answering the phone holds the entire future of the relationship in his or her hands. Having a game changer in that position can have a huge impact on a practice’s ability to at-tract and retain retention patients.”

It’s generally pretty easy to identify charac-ter traits you don’t want to see in a staff member, Edwards notes. “But, it’s important for dentists to

identify those traits and skills they do wish to add to their practice, as well. “If you aren’t willing to sit down and identify both the hard and soft skills you are looking for in new job candidates, how can you hire the right person?” In fact, dentists should regard providing accurate job descriptions as an ethical obligation, as well as a measure of legal pro-tection, he points out. “So, for example, when a job description includes that he or she will be on his/her feet all day, such as a Hygienist, and that the position will require a lot of dexterity,” he says. “This will enable the employer to address claims of inju-ries and to work out accommodations.” You don’t

“ Morning huddles are a good time to review the previous day and clean up any untended issues. They are an opportunity to look at the upcoming day and see if anything needs to be addressed.”

There is a lot that dentists and office managers can do to main-tain a healthy work environment and a happy staff, according to experts. It begins with sound hiring.

Page 10: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

10 : May 2016 : First Impressions : www.firstimpressionsmag.com

Successful HR

want surprises to surface down the road. Accurate job descriptions – along with a clear list of expec-tations – protect the practice and help employees identify when they are a good fit.”

A strategy for successA satisfying office culture can be a key motivator for office staff, according to Edwards. The core values, vision and mission of the practice can set the tone of the culture. “Often, the dental owner or manager doesn’t strategize around these three pillars enough,” he says, referring to Maslow’s hierarchy of need and the importance of self-actualization. ‘Yes, salary, a benefits package and educational opportunities all are important. But you also need to look at self-actu-alization, meaning the staff is doing what they love and want to do. A person who does what he or she loves and wants to do will show up for work and do it for free!” he says. But, joking aside, when everyone at the practice is filling the role that best suits them – and doing the job they most enjoy – the office will be a more attractive place for patients to visit, he notes.

That said, dentists must also ensure their staff’s educational needs are being met. “With regard to continuing education credits, the practice owner needs to pay for classes, travel time and more,” says Edwards. “This is the law – something many dental offices don’t un-derstand.” (If the CE is related to licensure, it may be handled differently, he adds.)

Feedback: Is it ever too much?Sure, disingenuous feedback can get old quickly, says Ed-wards. Still, it’s important for dentists to proactively provide their staff with both positive and negative feedback, rather than waiting to address issues after they “pile up” and become

a problem for the entire office. “Dentists should re-sist addressing individual performance issues as a group,” he explains. “While team and operational is-sues can be addressed at regularly scheduled office

meetings, [it’s best to] avoid the shot gun approach of discussing individ-ual performance issues as if every-one needs to improve. In addition, meetings should be “meaningful,” he says. “They can’t become complaint sessions.” Meetings should be sched-uled at a time that’s convenient for the whole office, he says. They should begin with the minutes car-ried over from the prior meeting and be intentional and purposeful.

When meetings are called to address an office issue, the dentist should identify the issue, address it and follow up by commending good or improved behavior, Edwards ex-plains. “If a particular staff member is

Hiring new staff should be regarded as an opportunity to bring new skills to the practice, Edwards says, and doing so

could be a “game changer.”

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www.firstimpressionsmag.com : First Impressions : May 2016 : 11

always late for work because he or she is having a diffi-cult time getting [his/her] children to school, and after addressing the issue, [he/she] arrives to work on time, it’s important for the dentist to follow up with positive feedback.” No holding back, he adds!

Not to be confused with office meetings, morn-ing huddles provide a great way to start the day and ensure the whole office is in sync. “Morning huddles are a good time to review the previous day and clean up any untended issues,” says Edwards. “They are an opportunity to look at the upcoming day and see if anything needs to be addressed. For instance, maybe there are cancellations that need to be filled in order to keep the practice on track with its goals.” That said, huddles should be brief, he notes. “The dentist should specify to the staff when they will take place and how long they will last. If they are going to extend a few extra minutes, even the dentist should ask permission to do so.

“I think it’s more important than ever before that the dental office is a good place to work,” Ed-wards continues. “That means, it’s fun, efficient and no one blows up when things get tense.” It takes the right culture for self-actualization to take place, He adds.

It’s the job of every dental owner and office manager to hold the staff up and help them do

the best possible job, says Edwards. “A dentist may find someone’s not the best fit for his or her of-fice at first.” But, good managers look at their own decisions before pointing fingers, he notes. “A bad hire or is almost always the result of poor planning by the owner or manager.” FI

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It’s been said many times: Sales reps who truly know their customers and understand their needs can provide the best solutions. As far as Paul Edwards, CEO and co-founder of CEDR HR Solutions, is concerned, this mes-sage is worth repeating. “I think sales reps not only identify with their products, but also have a unique knowledge of how each dental practice works, and what is or is not working well from one practice to the next.”

Reps can service their customers well if they understand why some dental practices do better than others, he continues. “Simply because one practice has certain protocols that work well doesn’t mean they will work well at the next practice.” When reps pro-vide a dental office with the right solutions and insight, it follows that the office will run more smoothly and the staff will be hap-pier, he suggests.

Know your customers

Page 12: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

12 : May 2016 : First Impressions : www.firstimpressionsmag.com

Editor’s Note: Technology is playing an increasing role in the day-to-day business of sales reps. In this department, First Impressions will profile the latest developments in software and gadgets that reps can use for work and play.

The walking distractedIs it any wonder technology is expected to outpace humans? It seems even walking has become a chal-lenge, at least when a cell-phone is involved. Too many people text while walking, leading to a rise in pedestrian injuries, according to recent reports. Walking into walls and colliding with cars are just some of the hazards associated with texting while walking. Some refer to this phenomenon as “smom-bie” – a combination of smartphone and zom-bie. Consumer Product Safety Commission data shows that emergency room visits involving distracted pedestrians using cellphones were up 124 percent in 2014 from 2010 (a 10-fold increase from 2006). Some researchers now blame portable elec-tronic gadgets for 10 percent of pedestrian injuries, and a half-doz-en deaths a year. While distracted driving leads to more severe harm, incidents involving texting walkers are more com-mon. This means, adults need to teach children that putting down their phones when crossing the street is as important as looking both ways. Some towns and college campuses have addressed the problem with “look up” signs in dangerous stairwells and intersec-tions. Announcements in Hong Kong’s subways ad-vise passengers, “Don’t keep your eyes only on your

mobile phone.” New York City has reduced speeds for cars, and San Francisco has been making more busy corridors pedestrian-only, partly in response to walkers looking at their phones. In addition, Smart-watches like the Apple Watch and Samsung’s Galaxy Gear keep data addicts from having to look down at their phone all the time—replacing it with a smaller screen that’s faster to check. But, then…that means more technology!

PCs here to stayABI Research has re-ported that 163 million notebook PCs shipped globally during 2015. The majority of ship-ments were laptops, which constituted nearly 80 percent of the cate-gory. The data suggests that the market is still strong and shows no sign of slowing down in the immediate fu-ture. Consumer interest is likely increasing due to the versatility that the models provide. As

such, ABI Research predicts that new, low-cost models will emerge from a broader range of system OEMs in 2016, and it forecasts that ultraportable PCs will con-stitute more than 24 percent of total notebook PC unit volume in 2021. ABI Research also anticipates Chrome-books to continue to dominate the education market in 2016, as school initiatives drive toward 1:1 student deployments with a technology device.

Walking into walls and colliding

with cars are just some of the hazards

associated with texting

while walking.

Page 13: Successful HR · First Impressions Digital Edition is published bi-monthly by mdsi 1735 N. Brown Rd. Ste. 140 • Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8153 Phone: 770/263-5257 • Fax: …

www.firstimpressionsmag.com : First Impressions : May 2016 : 13

Vested in safetyRoadwareZ, a developer of wearable technologies, has announced its formal launch and released early details about its debut product – a smart vest for bicy-clists. Each year, nearly 50,000 cyclists are injured and 700 killed in the United States. The lightweight com-bination of wearable technology and mobile app will include a variety of features – including LED turn and brake signals, GPS mapping and tracking, access to a 24/7 emergency monitoring service; and ultimately a rear-facing camera and microphone – designed to keep cyclists safe, smart and social.

The vest’s social media capabilities include:• Social engagement and chat via

Bluetooth connection.• GPS tracking to ensure that groups that ride

together stay safe.• Ability to find new friends and riders near you.

For more information, visit www.roadwarez.com.

Smartwatches, smart moveResearch and Markets has introduced the Global Smartwatch Market 2016-2020 report, which fore-casts the global smartwatch market to grow at a CAGR of 12 percent by 2020. According to the re-port, smartwatches have the ability to connect with several devices, such as televisions, media players, headsets, smartphones, laptops, PoS devices and others that allow Bluetooth and near-field com-munication (NFC) connectivity. Several third-gener-ation smartwatches are integrated with Wi-Fi con-nectivity, which enables them to be connected to several devices efficiently. These watches can be connected with headsets and smartphones.

Getting directions the easy wayPIN has simplified the process of storing popular lo-cations into an existing navigation system, provid-ing consumers with directions for driving, taking public transportation or walking to their destination.

Often, consumers must find their destination in a search engine on their phone, and then switch back and forth between a browser and a GPS app to enter the address. While some search engines provide a directions link to launch a GPS app, this doesn’t solve the problem of saving the destina-tion for future use and making it easy for users to find it in the future. PIN also offers a smartwatch app that lets users locate a store, receiving turn-by-turn directions on their wrist.

Double the funA new mobile social weight loss app, TwinBody, re-portedly allows users to find their body twin for sup-port in meeting realistic fitness goals. The app allows users to connect across age, gender, before- and af-ter-weight and location – to compare their progress to that of others with the same goals and body types. It is designed to help to inspire users’ fitness journey, rather than create unrealistic body ideals. For more information visit www.twinbody.com.

There’s no going backApple consumers do not appear to be excited to trade in their larger sized iPhones phones for a 4-inch iPhone, which was expected to go on sale this spring. A recent U.S. survey found that 78 per-cent of Millennial, Generation X, and Baby Boomer-aged consumers are either happy with – and plan to keep – their current phone, or will wait until the next iPhone launch before making a change. (Forty-six percent of survey respondents have only owned iPhones.) If any group is more likely to re-turn to a 4-inch phone, it’s the Baby Boomers, ac-cording to the report. Fifty-five percent of 55-and-older iPhone owners currently have an iPhone 5s or older. Forty-two percent of people owning iPhone 4s and older iPhone devices are willing to trade in their current device for a 4-inch iPhone. More than half of this generation is loyal to Apple and has never owned another brand of smartphone. FI

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14 : May 2016 : First Impressions : www.firstimpressionsmag.com

Chances are you spend a lot of time in your car. Here’s some automotive-related news that might help you appreciate your home-away-from-home a little more.

Windshieldtime

Easy driverComputers running self-driving cars will be con-sidered “drivers” by federal highway regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s de-cision will likely provide flexibility for developers of self-driving cars in meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that govern a range of design re-quirements. The location of a turn signal stock and the way an accelerator pedal functions, for instance, are regulated by these standards. These rules were crafted without consideration of a self-driving vehicle, and companies such as Alphabet – Google’s parent company – require clarification, since it will develop vehicle cockpits for passengers who let a computer make driving decisions. The move is considered a win for the Google autonomous-car program, which has

been under development since 2009, and other com-panies looking to build vehicles that don’t require a driver. The decision, however, doesn’t give unlim-ited leeway to designers. NHTSA said the Mountain View, Calif., company must ask for an exemption from regulations that have specifications meant to protect physical drivers. While many auto makers are introducing vehicles with semi-autonomous features and plan to develop that technology aggressively, the Google car design takes a driver out of the equa-tion entirely. Alphabet recently began testing the ve-hicles in Seattle, the third U.S. city where it operates fully autonomous cars. For more information visit www.wsj.com/articles/regulators-willing-to-consid-er-computer-driven-car-1455117797?tesla=y.

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www.firstimpressionsmag.com : First Impressions : May 2016 : 15

Long drives take their tollLong hours behind the wheel of a car can be as bad as a long day in front of a computer screen, note ex-perts in a recent Wall Street Journal article. Studies have shown the combination of a long driving com-mute and a desk job increases the risk of cardiovas-cular disease, according to Boulder, Colo., physical therapist Mike Kohn. “Movement is so beneficial to our cardiovascular health,” he says. By contrast, when people are sedentary, the heart has to work harder to circulate blood and oxygen through their sys-tems, he points out. According to Robert Butler, an adjunct professor in Duke University’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, people spend the first year of their life trying to develop out of a seated position. “Commuting, or sitting at a desk, is like regressing into a lower-level posture,” he says, suggesting that those with long commutes and a desk job request a standing desk or a treadmill desk. For those facing two or more hours of driving time, he suggests pull-ing off at a rest stop to walk or do stretches, such as kneeling lunges, to help loosen the hip flexors and psoas muscle, which tend to tighten when one is seated for long periods. He recommends having an ergonomics expert assess the seat of the car to help with posture during a commute.

First familySubaru of America, Inc. announced that its 2016 Out-back won U.S. News & World Report’s Best Wagon for Families, as part of the 2016 Best Cars for Families awards. U.S. News and World Report evaluated 256 ve-hicles and named winners in 21 categories. The award recipients have the best combination of safety and reliability ratings, excellent reviews from professional automotive critics, and the space and features said to satisfy a family’s needs. The 2016 Outback was recog-nized for its go anywhere capability, spacious cabin, generous cargo space and numerous achievements in safety and reliability. The Outback’s core technol-ogy/symmetrical all-wheel drive was recognized for

its ability to send power to all wheels simultaneously for maximum traction. In slippery conditions, it report-edly sends power to the wheels with the best traction, helping the driver stay on the road and on course. In addition, the horizontal layout of the engine allows for a low center of gravity for improved balance, which contributes to responsive handling and steering.

BMW joins driverless car ranksAs reports suggest growth in the semi-autonomous car market, BMW has announced plans to com-pletely overhaul the company, with 50 percent of the R&D team designated to work exclusively on au-tonomous car technology exclusively. To date, only 20 percent of BMW’s 30,000 employees are soft-ware engineers. The company has acknowledged the growing importance of machine learning and artificial intelligence within the automotive indus-try, and recently hired a 200-plus digital innovation team in Chicago, with plans to continue building its in-house expertise over the next five-to-six years.

Driverless, but not lawlessFollowing the recent crash of a Google self-driving car into a bus, a coalition of consumer groups called on the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “to commit to maximum transparency and public in-volvement” as they develop policy and safety stan-dards covering autonomous self-driving vehicles. In a letter to Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind, the groups wrote: “While autonomous technologies may offer great benefits in the future, it is impera-tive that NHTSA continue to put safety first as the technologies develop. The best way to demonstrate your commitment to safety is a completely open, transparent process with the maximum public in-volvement.” These real-world results suggest there are many everyday routine traffic situations that cars simply can’t cope with yet, according to the letter. FI

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Benco announces Lucy Hobbs award winners for 2016The Lucy Hobbs Project (Pittston, PA) selected six honorees for the distinction of Exemplary Women in the Dental Community. The Lucy Hobbs Project will award the recipients during its 4th annual celebra-tion, to be held June 2-3 in Dallas, Texas. Powered by Benco Dental (Pittston, PA), The Lucy Hobbs Project

is a national, long-term program based on three pil-lars – networking, innovating and giving back. The project aims to bring women together from all facets of the dental industry – dentists, dental assistants, hy-gienists, receptionists, sales representatives and oth-ers. The project is free to join and offers networking opportunities, educational programs and charitable events. This year’s Lucy Hobbs Award recipients are: • Joyce Bassett - Clinical Expertise award • Col. Theresa S. Gonzales, Ret. - Industry Icon award• Susan Maples - Mentor award• Kadambari ‘Kady’ Rawal – Woman-to-Watch award• Pamela Schmidt – Innovator award• Mary Teddy Wray - Humanitarian award

Dental Health Products Inc. celebrates 25 years in businessDental Health Products Inc (New Franken, WI) is cel-ebrating 25 years in business. The company’s footprint now includes six Midwest branches, two distribution centers, and support for over 130,000 SKUs by more than 400 dental manufacturers. In 2015, DHPI launched its new webstore featuring all available product promo-tions, online bill-pay, budget management, and more. To share in the excitement, Dental Health Products Inc will be passing on savings to customers via limited-time offers available through the webstore and print flyers.

Shofu’s EyeSpecial C-II camera video now available in multiple languagesShofu Dental Corporation (San Marcos, CA) released the instructional video for its EyeSpecial C-II digi-tal dental camera in multiple languages, including French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The video will edu-cate clinicians, dental staff, and laboratory techni-cians on how to incorporate EyeSpecial C-II into their operatory or laboratory using the best clinical stan-dards and techniques. The EyeSpecial C-II is a smart digital camera intended for clinical photography, dental- and orthodontic-case documentation, lab collaboration, and patient communication and edu-cation. Equipped with a 12-megapixel sensor, a high-performance 49mm close-up lens, and a panoramic LCD touchscreen that allows the user to view and scroll through images with or without gloves, the EyeSpecial C-II offers eight pre-set dental shooting modes along with intuitive one-touch operations.

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